Adjustable tongue for vehicles



(No Model.)

J. SETOHFIELD. ADJUSTABLE TONGUE POE VEHICLES.

No. 393,399. Patented Nov. 27, 1888..

UNETED STATES PATENT Tricia.

JAMES SETOHFIELD, OF FENTON, MICHIGAN.

ADJUSTABLE TONGUE FOR VEHlCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent; N0.393,399, dated November27, 1888.

(No model.)

a full, clear, and exact description of theinvensuitable form.

tion.such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappert-ains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-tongues,

and particularly to the construction of the points of attachment to thevehicle, whereby said attaching or coupling points may be readilyadjusted, so as to enable attaching the tongue to the clips ordraw-irons of any vehicle. The distance between the draw-irons on thefore axles of vehicles varies, which makes it difficult to attach thetongues ordinarily made, for the reason that the draw-irons must beshifted on the axle of the vehicle.

To overcome this objection and difficulty is the object of my invention,in which I accomplish the desired result by making the extreme rearattaching or coupling points adjustable, as will be hereinafter fullyset forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

In the drawings forming a partof the specification, Figure l is a planin elevation, showing my improved tongue, wherein the dotted linesindicate the adjusted position of the couplings. Fig. 2 is an enlargedperspective of the parts constituting my invention, said parts beingdetached.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, Prepresents the pole of the tongue. To its rear end is attached thecoupling-head H. Said head may be of any This head receives and-supportsthe curved draw-bar B. To the free ends of this bar are coupled theforked couplingirons D D. The curved ends V of the bar B fill the forkedportions S of the coupling-irons D and are firmly secured thereto by thebolts or rivets c, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The forward ends of theprongs J of the couplingirons are provided with the lugs Y Y, which lugsreceive one end of the draft-rods ff.

The opposite ends of said rods are attached to the pole P, as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. i

The coupling-irons D are curved throughout their length and are made upin sets of two, one being the right hand, the other the left, as shownin Fig. 1. The rear ends are provided with are-shaped heads F. In eachhead is an arc-shaped channel or opening, 0. Passing vertically throughthe heads W is a hole, 6. and earh head has a horizontal slot, f, whichslot stands on a true plane with the upper face of the heads F.

E represents a swinging arm having the tongue m at one end. Said,tonguefills the slot f in the part D, and by a boltor rivet, d, passingthrough the holes 0 e, the parts D and E are pivoted together.

I) is a bolt which passes through the hole a of the arm E and throughthe curved opening 0 in the part D. The lower end of the bolt receivesthe washer w and nut 11'. The free or swinging end of each arm E isprovided wit-h the slot 0 and hole 2'.

nis a draw-eye having in its head thehorizontal hole a, through which abolt passes in coupling the tongue to vehicles. This is not shown in thedrawings, as it will be readily understood. The part n is provided witha lip, h, having a hole, 15, therein. Said lip fills the slot 0 in thefree end of the arm E, and by a rivet, o. the parts are pivotallycoupled, as shown in Fig. l. The parts being coupled and set as shown inFig. l, the operator, wishing to attach the tongue to a vehicle in whichthe draw-clips are set so near to each other as not to allow thedraw-eyes n to properly enter or be coupled, loosens the nuts a on thebolts 1), when the outer ends of the arms E may be moved toward eachother until they are the proper distance apart, so as to register withand couple to the draw-clips of the vehicle. WVhen the arms E have thusbeen properly adjusted, they are tightened or locked in said position bytightening the nuts n. Thus'it will be observed that the attachingpoints of the tongue may be readily and correctly adjusted so as toenable attaching the tongue to any vehicle without adjusting thecouplings on the axle of the vehicle.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An adjustable tongue forvehicles, consisting of the pole, the curved draw-bar attachedthereto,the forked coupling-arms made fast to the curved draw-bar, the rodscoupling the forked arms to the pole, said arms having the are shapedheads with openings therein, the swinging arms pivoted to the forkedcouplingarms carrying the bolts and nuts for adj nsting said parts, andthe draw-eyes pivoted to the free ends of the swinging arms, as and forthe purposes specified.

2. In combination with the pole, the curved draw-bar, the forkedcoupling-arms having the lugs Y, the rods coupled to said lugs and thepole, the head F, opening 0, and slot fol' the forked coupling-arms, theswinging arms, each having a tongue, at, at one end and a slot and holein the other end, said arms being pivoted to the forked arms, the bolts1), passing through the holes a and the arc-shaped openings O,the nutsn, and the draw-eyes attached to the free ends" of the swinging arms, asand for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES SEIUHFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

\VALTER BLAOKMORE, LEWIS Amnn.

